NHL Previews, News and Stories!

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The Hurricanes are coming off a thrilling comeback win on Monday night against the Stars and will look to build on that momentum with another key victory. Star forward Sebastian Aho had a stellar 4-point performance in the win, while NHL points leader Martin Necas contributed 2 points, including the game-winning goal. However, there are concerns in net as starting goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is listed as day-to-day with concussion symptoms. As a result, Spencer Martin will get the start. Martin has struggled this season, posting an .854 save percentage and a 3.40 goals-against average, raising questions about his ability to be dependable in net. Despite the goalie uncertainty, the Hurricanes will look to lean on their high-powered offense and strong team defense to secure another win. 

The Rangers are coming off a tough loss to the St. Louis Blues and will look to rebound in a crucial division matchup. One area of focus for New York will be improving play down the middle, as their top two centers, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, have struggled in recent games. Trocheck, in particular, has been held without a point in his last five outings. On a positive note for the Rangers, their goaltending remains a strength. Both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick have posted strong numbers, forming one of the top goaltending tandems in the league. This has been a key factor in keeping the Rangers competitive despite some struggles elsewhere.

Key player for the Hurricanes has got to be Jack Roslovic after being traded mid season from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Rangers where he played 19 games scoring 3 goals and notching 8 points he has proven to be a great free agent signing. He has 3 goals in his last 5 games and has 12 goals on the year. He has been a spark in the Hurricanes offense.

A key player for the Rangers will be Vincent Trocheck, who has gone pointless in his last 5 games. However, his return to Raleigh, where he has had previous success, could provide the spark he needs to get back on track. This season, Trocheck has 10 points in 20 games—a significant drop-off from last year, when he finished just 5 points shy of a point-per-game pace. For the Rangers to have a chance in this matchup, they'll need Trocheck to step up. He leads the team in ice time among forwards, logging a career-high 21:32 per game, demonstrating that even with his recent struggles, the team still relies on him to perform.